Protest leader Suthep leading today's warm-up march in Thon Buri

BANGKOK, Jan 9 – Anti-government protesters will hold a pre-Occupy Bangkok march in Thon Buri today to urge people to take to the streets to paralyse the capital on Monday.

Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary general of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), announced on stage at the Democracy Monument last night that he would cross the Puttayodfa Memorial Bridge to meet with residents in various communities in Thon Buri to create people’s awareness on Monday’s ‘Bangkok shutdown’ march.

Mr Suthep said the Monday’s massive rally on Chaeng Wattana Road – one of the seven targeted locations – was aimed at sealing off the Government Complex. The demonstration there will be organised by people from Bangkok’s satellite provinces of Nonthaburi, Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom.

Another significant rally site will be Pathumwan intersection where the Democrat party-related Bluesky Channel will broadcast to other rally sites round the clock. The stage at Pathumwan will be manned by Chulalongkorn University staff and students, and former Democrat MP Satit Wongnongtaey.

Mr Suthep said he and PDRC members will move to various spots while government buildings and ministries will be blocked on Monday morning so that “government officials will no longer work for the Thaksin regime.”

“We will not stay overnight at any government property to prevent infiltration by outsiders – an experience we encountered when we occupied the Finance Ministry,” he said.